https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/we-heard-three-impeachable-acts-from-just-one-public-hearing/2019/11/14/95eec340-072a-11ea-b17d-8b867891d39d_story.html
"The federal bribery statute does not require the corrupt exchange to be consummated. For a federal official to seek such a favor, in exchange for an official act, is a crime. The second impeachable act we heard of at Wednesday’s hearing was abuse of power. Kent spent much of his opening statement explaining why U.S. policy under the past four presidents has been to support Ukraine against the existential threat posed by its more powerful neighbor, Russia. Taylor vividly described visiting the front lines where the Ukrainian military is fighting a shooting war against Russian-backed forces. Some of Trump’s loudest defenders in Congress have also been among the loudest to insist that holding the line against Russia in Ukraine is vital to U.S. national security. To put our security at risk — by withholding the military aid — for personal political gain is a gross abuse of power, and clear grounds for impeachment. The third impeachable act that Trump has committed, and continues to commit, is obstruction of Congress. Republicans complained that since neither Taylor nor Kent was in direct contact with Trump, the evidence they provided was “secondhand” or “hearsay.” In fact, both men were careful to describe only what they saw and heard, making a clear distinction between what they knew and what they surmised. But they appeared, under subpoena, despite Trump administration orders not to testify at all. The House would love to have acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and others close to president take a turn in the witness chair to give firsthand accounts of Trump’s actions. For some reason, Trump won’t let them. The administration has made the outrageous decision to refuse to provide any documents or witnesses to a duly authorized inquiry by the House of Representatives. That is the haughty attitude of a king, not a public servant, and it clearly amounts to intolerable obstruction worthy of impeachment. All of the above comes from a single public hearing."
